The Baldari (Book 3)

by Bob Blink

  “There’s no reason for us to wait,” she said.

  “Rigo,” Mitty protested as he withdrew his hand from her own as he prepared to go with Nycoh.

  “People are being killed,” he said. “Nycoh and I can help bring an end to this.”

  “Be careful,” Mitty cautioned, the concern apparent in her voice. She knew well how powerful Shym was. Rigo had confided in her that they had no defense against the powerful beams she and the other members of Carif’s inner circle had been capable of creating. Only Nycoh had some degree of defense against the powerful magic Shym was known to control. At this point they didn’t know if the others had the same ability or not. It could be a very dangerous encounter if they did.

  “Watch over Mitty,” Rigo implored Ash’urn. The elder scholar had also left his staff back a Nycoh’s cottage and without it he was unable to command sufficient magic to be of much help in the current situation. Rigo was glad of that. He didn’t want Ash’urn to be in the middle of this.

  Mitty glanced at Nycoh, who gave her a reassuring nod in return. She was promising to watch over Rigo as best she could. Together, Nycoh and Rigo ran for the back of the building where Nycoh opened a Bypass to the Guild compound as they ran. They had fought there before and she knew where she wanted to exit.

  Moments later she and Rigo stepped out onto the small hill overlooking the Headquarters building. They were concealed from those below by a stand of trees and were somewhat protected from attack by three large rocks that stood more than two man heights tall. The Headquarters building was badly damaged, but not completely leveled. All resistance had been overcome, suggesting any who had been in the facility were now dead or captured. Dozens of Baldari could be seen inside the remains of the structure. They were obviously searching for something, probably hoping the storerooms in the lower levels were filled with Casting supplies as had been the case in the past. They were going to be disappointed. Anything of any value had long ago been relocated to a more secure location. Other than offices, the building had seen minimal use and was scheduled to be replaced as soon as Queen Jusay gave the go ahead.

  As Crissi had indicated, the Baldari were on foot, none of the fierce mounts in evidence. Several Casters were also present, walking around the perimeter, watching for any resistance to the activities of the Baldari. In the distance Rigo could see and hear the battle raging at the residences of the Senior Casters.

  Nycoh raised her staff and released a multi-pronged fork of bright magic. Each of the dozen sharply focused narrow beams speared a Baldari warrior, slicing through them and killing them on the spot. The blast of magic caught the attention of the invading Casters, who turned in response to the attack. Rigo had already targeted one of responding Casters, his Brightfire intense and effective, consuming the woman in a bright flash of light. His second beam took another at the same time as Nycoh wrapped the third in a sheet of bright red fire.

  “Come!” Nycoh said, pointing toward the residence that was on fire. There were more Baldari here, but they were less of a problem than more Casters. Besides, there was no one left alive here to protect. She made another Bypass as they ran, and they exited a short distance from the attackers. Large sections of the dormitory had collapsed and sections were burning. Blasts of magical fire shot out at the attacking Casters, which were returned quickly by the five Casters that Rigo quickly counted. One of the attacking Casters released an intense beam of green energy that ripped another section of the structure apart.

  Shym. Rigo was about to unleash his Brightfire at the woman, when she stepped into a Doorway, and disappeared. He knew she had to be close, and searched frantically for the spot to where she had relocated. He hadn’t heard her shout, but the other Casters were suddenly aware that he and Nycoh were there and turned to meet the threat. Five was too many and he didn’t have time to make a Bypass. Without shields and something to hide behind, he was in trouble. Nycoh released a series of fireballs, which caused a couple of the attackers to duck, but they had the advantage of something to hide behind. Then, suddenly Ardra was there with a number of Guild Casters. Two of the attacking Casters were struck with killing beams, and the others quickly jumped through urgently created Doorways.

  A green beam swept through the group of defenders who were still appearing out of Ardra’s Doorway, killing several before the rest could scatter. Nycoh jumped into the attack, the beam having revealed where Shym had relocated to earlier. As Nycoh unleashed her own attack, Shym attempted to incinerate her with a second of the powerful green blasts. Nycoh’s beam struck Shym full on, but instead of killing the rebel Caster, a shimmering multicolored ball flared around the woman, the energies of Nycoh’s attack somehow interrupted and dissipated.

  The green beam that Shym had launched at Nycoh was true as well, but Nycoh was stronger than before, and while she didn’t possess the kind of shield that Shym had just demonstrated, she was able to turn the beam harmlessly aside. Four more beams struck Shym’s shield before she could attempt another attack. The air around her grew hot, but nothing reached the woman.

  Then suddenly, and without warning, Shym turned and stepped through a Doorway she created behind her. Rigo noted that other Doorways had been created by the remaining Casters and they were also retreating, along with the surviving Baldari. A few of the Baldari were cut down by the defending Casters before they could escape, but within seconds all surviving attackers had disappeared.

  Nycoh made as if to jump through one of the Doorways before it could close, but Rigo placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. As strong as she was, there was no way to know what she would be stepping into.

  “Where did they go?” an enraged Ardra demanded when she realized the attackers had escaped her force. She had had them outnumbered and now they were simply gone.

  “I don’t know,” Nycoh said cautiously. “There is no trace of where the Bypass they created goes. The end points are completely masked.”

  “Perhaps your skill at detecting such things is not as refined as some. We need to get another to check before all trace fades.”

  “She’s right,” Suline said, stepping forward. Ardra knew of Suline’s skill with Doorways. She had been at the party and joined the group that had come in defense of the Guild’s people. “There is no trace of the Doorway end points. At least these portals are not like those seen at the border where no sense at all of the Doorway existence can be detected. It suggests that the Casters who made these are not the same as whoever has been relocating the Baldari in the past. These portals were made by Casters with the same kinds of abilities we possess.”

  Ardra looked around. It didn’t appear as if the attackers planned on returning. “Check Headquarters,” she ordered several of the Casters. “Set up a defensive perimeter. I want to know immediately if any of the invaders are spotted again.”

  It didn’t take long to establish that the Baldari who had been ransacking the remains of the Guild Headquarters had disappeared as well. One of the Casters must have made a detour and opened a Doorway to allow them to escape. It appeared that the Doorways that had allowed the Baldari to appear so suddenly had all been the work of the Casters. No one had seen a Baldari create one. While several of the attacking Casters had been killed, a number, including Shym, had escaped. Two of the attackers had been positively identified as being from Malla, where the seven Casters had been taken by the Baldari not too long before. In all, fourteen of the Guild Casters had been killed, and more than thirty wounded. The Headquarters was no longer usable, and the northern dormitory was more than two-thirds destroyed.

  While Ardra put her team to work checking and helping the wounded, Rigo and Nycoh jumped back to the party hall to check on the situation here. Mitty ran to him when he appeared.

  “Where’s Jeen?” Rigo asked Ash’urn as he walked over to where Mitty still had her arms wrapped around Rigo.

  “She took the Three Kingdoms’ leaders back across the Ruins,” Ash’urn said. “Most of the other nobles have been relo
cated as well. They were taken to Lord Chaten’s place, and from there are being returned home by the Casters Ardra left behind. There has been no attack here. I don’t think they knew this event was in progress.”

  Rigo explained briefly what he had witnessed. “We have serious problems,” he said. “We need to warn Daim, and we will need to rethink our whole defense strategy. Somehow the Baldari or whoever is behind them can turn Casters, and I would guess wizards. That means any who are captured must be considered a possible asset for the enemy. Shym had a personal shield that even Nycoh could not penetrate. That’s something else we have never seen before. Fortunately the other Casters didn’t appear to be similarly protected. That might change, however. With Casters creating Doorways for the Baldari that will allow them to appear anywhere in the kingdoms, and shields we cannot overcome, we are in an unsustainable situation.”

  “If this Shym was immune to harm, why did she break off her attack?” Ash’urn asked.

  “I don’t know. They all suddenly withdrew. Perhaps this was a test of some kind. We need some answers, and we are going to need to find some means of overcoming this shield or we are lost,” Rigo said.

  Ash’urn felt that Rigo’s comment was a partial reflection on his own inability to come up with answers, although Rigo wasn’t thinking along those lines.

  “What are you going to do?” Ash’urn asked.

  “Mitty and I are going to the Outpost. Nycoh plans to stay here and coordinate with Ardra. I suspect the new Queen is going to demand some answers. I need to speak with Daim. Do you want to come?”

  Ash’urn shook his head. “I want to talk with Fen. He was looking into something. I hope he was as successful as he sounded when he left the Outpost a couple of days back.”

  Chapter 19

  Ardra arrived early for her meeting with Queen Jusay. It would just be the two of them this morning since Lyes was off with Ash’urn and Fen on some unnamed task. Ardra hoped that meeting would be as productive as Lyes’s enthusiasm suggested. She stepped into the room that she had spent many glass with Queen Rosul in the past. At least Queen Jusay had not seen any reason to change their meeting place. It was one of the mid-sized rooms in the same surviving wing of the castle where the Queen had her rooms. It had once been a common room for the soldiers that usually occupied this wing, but this floor had been reclaimed for the Queen and her staff when the rest of the castle had been destroyed.

  It wasn’t long before the familiar face of one of the Queen’s personal guards peered into the room, nodding at her expected presence. The Queen followed shortly thereafter, stepping into the room dressed very differently than she had been the night before. Gone were the finery and the crown. She wore casual clothes that looked comfortable and well made. Clearly she intended to work rather than impress. Displaying her newly gained status or power wasn’t on her mind. Ardra took in her appearance and decided the new Queen had managed to impress her with her priorities.

  “This isn’t how I expected to spend my first morning as Queen,” she said to Ardra as she slipped into the large chair opposite where Ardra sat.

  Ardra noted the dark patches under the Queen’s eyes. It was obvious she hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night as well.

  “The attack came as a complete surprise,” Ardra admitted. “We were unprepared for the Baldari to attack this far north and so far from the Wastelands. We would have expected to learn of their approach long before they could get here.”

  “How did they manage it?” the Queen asked. “And what of the timing? Were they aware of the Coronation and the gathering of most of Sedfair’s royalty?”

  “I would have to guess the timing was simply chance. None of the attackers approached anywhere near the waterfront where you and the guests were gathered. They didn’t even make an attempt on what is left of the castle. The focus was entirely upon the Guild and the Casters to be found there. To answer your other question, it is obvious now that they came via Doorways.”

  Queen Jusay looked at the director of the Guild. “I was told they used Doorways to escape once they reached the southern border, but there was no indication they could do so within the kingdom itself. It was suggested to me that the Baldari couldn’t do so because they had no familiarity with the places they wished to attack. If they have not been in Nals, how could they make a Doorway here?”

  “What you were told is suspect in a number of ways. We cannot know that a Baldari spy hasn’t traveled throughout the land. They are clever, and while they stand out, it wouldn’t be impossible. Most people this far from the border have never seen a Baldari, and wouldn’t know what to look for. Also, the Doorways created by the Baldari along the border, or whoever commands them, are different in some ways from those we are more familiar with. It is possible some of the restrictions we have come to associate with such travel may not apply.”

  “Are you suggesting they could go anywhere in Sedfair, even if they have never been there?”

  “Unfortunately, I believe they can go anywhere, but for a different reason. We believe the Doorways used last night by the Baldari warriors were created by the Casters who were actively involved in the attack.”

  “Casters,” Queen Jusay said angrily. “Your people. Why would your people join up with those who attack Sedfair? Are those within the Guild so dissatisfied with the changes that have been demanded of late?”

  “The most important Caster spotted during the attack was Shym, the last of Carif’s Eight, who had disappeared some months ago. She hadn’t been seen since weeks before Carif was taken. She also exhibited by far the greatest power last night, and represented the most significant danger. She might have reasons to hate the Guild and wish to attack those who remained behind. However, some of the others were Casters taken in recent attacks. They never displayed any dissatisfaction with the Guild, or the changes that Queen Rosul demanded after Carif’s treachery was discovered. They were loyal members, who had passed the screening not long ago. Now they have sided with our enemy. I believe they are not acting of their own free will. I suspect they are being controlled.”

  “Controlled?” Jusay asked.

  “Controlled,” Ardra repeated. “Controlled just as the Baldari appear to control their mounts. It has been suggested that they use some form of mental domination over the strange beasts. They might be doing the same with the Casters they have captured.”

  “That is sickening,” Queen Jusay said. “Why would they do such a thing?”

  “Some reasons are fairly obvious. By using the Casters, they have access to the Doorways the Casters can create for them. That allowed them to jump in and surprise us, and will grant them access to any place in the kingdom where their captured Casters have been. The Casters also give them access to magic. While the Baldari have been protected by magic, they have never been known to use magic in any of the battles. Now, the enemy, our true enemy, has access to magic to use against us. That has changed the very nature of the threat we face.”

  “Our true enemy?”

  “Whoever controls the Baldari. After what we have seen in the past weeks, I have come to believe the Baldari are being controlled. No people would waste themselves as carelessly as the Baldari seem to in the attacks. They, much like the Casters we witnessed last night, are being controlled by something or someone.”

  “The woman from Mitty’s dreams,” Jusay said. “Rosul told me of the visions.”

  “Perhaps,” Ardra agreed. “There is most certainly some kind of link there, but whether that woman is the force behind the attacks remains uncertain.”

  “How bad was it?” Queen Jusay asked.

  Ardra provided her with the numbers. “Actually we were lucky.”

  “Lucky?” Queen Jusay said. “This many killed and wounded, and much of the Guild damaged or destroyed. How is that lucky?”

  “The attack was broken off. In part because the wizard Nycoh surprised the Casters with her ability to turn the beams. She has abilities no one else in the Three Kingdo
ms or Sedfair can duplicate. Perhaps the enemy fled because a number of their Casters were quickly killed and whoever was behind the attack didn’t want to lose those remaining. It is difficult to be certain. With the magic and shield that Shym displayed, the damage could have been much worse.”

  “Do you know what they were after?”

  “Guesses only. I believe they wanted to test our defenses and verify they could jump right into the center of our government. They also appeared to be searching the Headquarters for Casting supplies, probably more of the power crystals they have shown an affinity for. Fortunately, we had relocated all such items previously.”

  Ardra hesitated, then added. “I also think they came for prisoners.”

  “Prisoners?”

  “More Casters. Where better to find those with the ability to create magic? If they could have made off with another twenty or thirty Casters, which they could turn to their cause, they would have a formidable force to reckon with. The Casters in the residences are among the most powerful we have.”

  “Were any taken?”

  “Fortunately not.”

  “What of wizards? You have spoken of Casters, but nothing of wizards. Can the wizards be controlled in the same manner?”

  “There is no evidence either way. Thus far, no wizards have been taken, nor have any been seen in the attacks. That might simply be because there are far more experienced Casters in Sedfair, or it might indicate an immunity the wizards enjoy. Perhaps we will learn in time.”

  “What of the students?” Queen Jusay asked. The University classes had just begun again a mere two weeks earlier, and the full student body had been present.

  “No attacks were made at the University itself or the dormitories. None of the students were harmed. I can only guess that is because the students do not yet possess the skills the Baldari warriors were sent to acquire.”